Leesburg man arrested on federal carjacking charges

Tuesday

May 16, 2017 at 7:39 PMMay 16, 2017 at 7:39 PM

Millard Ives @DC_mives

LEESBURG — A reported Leesburg gang member accused of participating in a carjacking in which the victim was pistol-whipped, was arrested on federal charges Tuesday during a multi-agency raid at his home.

According to the indictment, 23-year-old Jonathan Kyle Lanier, two men and a woman conspired to rob a man of his vehicle as well as his money and other personal property by arranging a Dec. 23 meeting at a Leesburg remote location between him and the woman.

The victim believed that he only was going to meet the woman.

But officials say after the victim arrived, Lanier and two other men, all masked and armed, pulled the victim from his car and stole his wallet and other personal property.

A third suspect, Avery Tumer, then reportedly pistol-whipped the victim and took his car.

Afterward, Lanier, Tumer, 23, Timotheus Reed, 29, of Leesburg, and the woman drove to a residence in Leesburg, where they stashed firearms in an attic, officials said.

Lanier was indicted on charges of carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of carjacking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The arrest was among a number made Tuesday in which suspects wanted on federal indictments were rounded up by the FBI, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department and other police departments outside of Lake County.

Leesburg police Lt. Joe Iozzi said officers from his agency and a SWAT team from Federal Bureau of Investigation was able to arrest Lanier without incident

“These are all violent criminals with pending gun and other felony charges,” Iozzi said.

William Daniels, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Lanier’s criminal history allowed his charges to become federal. His prior Lake County charges include aggravated fleeing, resisting arrest, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number and cocaine possession.

Lanier made his initial appearance at the Ocala federal courthouse Tuesday and remains in custody. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking count alone.

Tumer is currently detained on state charges, awaiting transfer to federal custody. Reed faces federal charges and remains at-large.